{"id":5941,"date":"2026-04-21T17:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/21\/richie-stephens-jc-lodge-gem-myers-ignite-rhythms-of-africa-concert\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T17:39:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:39:15","slug":"richie-stephens-jc-lodge-gem-myers-ignite-rhythms-of-africa-concert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/21\/richie-stephens-jc-lodge-gem-myers-ignite-rhythms-of-africa-concert\/","title":{"rendered":"Richie Stephens, JC Lodge, Gem Myers ignite Rhythms of Africa concert"},"content":{"rendered":"
The 13th annual Rhythms of Africa concert, held at the Miramar Cultural Center in Florida, reached unimaginable heights, with two back-to-back sold-out concert nights that celebrated Caribbean heritage.<\/div>\n
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Hosted by Wayne Messam, Mayor of Miramar, Florida and presented by Willie Stewart O.D., formerly of the iconic reggae group Third World, the event delivered top-tier musical performances from Richie Stephens, JC Lodge and Gem Myers after a powerful foundation laid by the Rhythms of Africa Band that \u201ctruly set the tone,\u201d according to Jamaican-born, New York-based entertainment publicist Anthony \u201cER Guru\u201d Turner.<\/div>\n
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\"Wayne

Wayne Messam, Mayor of Miramar, Fl shares lens time backstage with singer JC Lodge. <\/span>Photo by Anthony “ER Guru” Turner<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cRichie\u2019s brilliant performance both nights was nothing short of stellar,\u201d Turner told Caribbean Life on Tuesday, April 21.
\n\u201cFrom the moment he stepped on stage, he connected with the audience, effortlessly weaving through hits \u2018Trying to Get to You,\u2019 \u2018Fight Back.\u2019 \u2018Color of Love\u2019 and his 1997 release \u2018Weakness for Sweetness ‘ struck a balance between nostalgia and freshness, all while reminding fans why he is one of reggae\u2019s most versatile contemporary vocalists,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Turner said Stephens \u201celevated the experience further with a powerful tribute segment, performing \u2018Trapped\u2019 in honor of deceased singer, songwriter Jimmy Cliff, OD, while also paying homage to fallen icons Stephen \u2018Cat\u2019 Coore, drummer Sly Dunbar, and singer Ernie Smith.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Turner said Stephens closed with a \u201cspirited gospel medley and ska classics that included Oil In My Lamp,\u2019 Wings of a Dove\u2019 and \u2018Simmer Down\u2019 that brought the audience to a euphoric high.\u201d
\nHe said the star-studded lineup, backed by the Rhythms of Africa Band, delivered \u201cequally compelling moments from JC Lodge and Gem Myers, whose artistry and stage presence were top tier.\u201d<\/div>\n
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\"Wille

Wille Stewart, former drummer of Third World band and Rhythms of Africa concert curator backstage, signing Third World’s iconic album jacket ‘You’ve Got The Power’ that was released in 1982 for a fan. Looking on is his daughter Akelia Stewart. <\/span>Photo by Anthony “ER Guru” Turner<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Turner said Myers captivated fans with her rich vocals on covers \u201cMy Boy Lollipop\u201d, \u201cNo No No\u201d and her perennial hit \u201cOne Man Girl\u201d before she segued into \u201cAnd I Am Telling You I\u2019m Not Going\u201d, while JC\u2019s timeless hits \u201cTelephone Love\u201d and \u201cSomeone Loves You Honey\u201d helped to bridged generations of reggae lovers.
\nShe was also applauded for \u201cMore Than I Can Say,\u201d \u201cMake It Up to You\u2019 and \u2018Crysis,” Turner said.
\nOffstage, he said Stephens praised event curator Willie Stewart, calling him \u201ca very important man to Jamaica\u2019s music and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Stephens emphasized that Stewart\u2019s vision for Rhythms of Africa goes far beyond entertainment.
\n\u201cWhat he\u2019s doing with the kids is such a great thing,\u201d Turner quoted Stephens as saying. \u201cHe is giving them an opportunity to become a part of musical greatness, helping them to stay focused and stay out of trouble.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Turner said that impact was evident as students from Somerset Academy High School delivered a \u201cvibrant, high-energy drumming showcase that opened the show.\u201d
\nStephens summed up the experience with gratitude, calling it \u201ca magnificent experience\u201d to headline two sold-out nights and thanking Stewart for selecting him \u201cnot once, but twice\u201d to be part of what he described as a \u201cwonderful show\u201d and \u201cgreat production.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Turner said that, at the close of the performances each night, Stewart announced that 100 percent of proceeds raised from the song, \u201cHave a Little Faith\u201d \u2013 which he produced with Sean Wedderburn and singers Leroy Sibbles, J.C. Lodge, Glen Washington, Carlene Davis, Wayne Armond, Dwisdom, Gem Myers, Patrick Ulysees Pinkney, Alecia Marie and Carl McDonald \u2013 will be donated to supporting Jamaica\u2019s hurricane victims following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 13th annual Rhythms of Africa concert, held at the Miramar Cultural Center in Florida, reached unimaginable heights, with two back-to-back sold-out concert nights that celebrated Caribbean heritage. Hosted by Wayne Messam, Mayor of Miramar, Florida and presented by Willie Stewart O.D., formerly of the iconic reggae group Third World, the event delivered top-tier musical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5941\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}